How expertise can modulate spatial attention within and across sensory modalities: the case of video game players

Abstract

Action video games have been shown to have a robust effect on modulating basic visual attention mechanisms. However, very little work has explored how spatial attention is modulated by video game play and whether or not any potential enhancements in attention are seen outside of the visual domain. This dissertation addresses both of these areas, specifically, how spatial attention is modulated after habitual video game play was assessed using a temporal order judgment task coupled with exogenous (peripheral) and endogenous (central) cues. The experimentation was conducted within and across the debate of whether or not the human attentional system operates in a segregated manner allowing each sense individualized attentional resources, or, if instead, a supramodal attentional system dictates resources. An additional set of experiments involved only participates who did not previously play video games, but were subjected to a video game play intervention seperating pre-and post-tests. The findings provide some evidence suggesting that video game play can modulate attentional processing across sensory modalities.